1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hydraulic food cutting apparatus and, more particularly to an improved tube for aligning and centering raw potatoes relative to the cutter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hydraulic feed product cutting apparatus, as typified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,108,625 and 3,109,468 issued to F. G. Lamb et al; 4,082,024 issued to J. L. Hodges et al; and W. I. Fisher et al, is old in the art. Such devices are operable to hydraulically propel raw food products such as potatoes into a cutter for slicing the potato into strips of desired shape for the production of french fries or the like.
It is important for quality production and efficiency that the raw food product be properly aligned and centered upon contact with the cutter blades. For potatoes, which are often oblong in shape, it is important that the potato enter the cutter in a lengthwise position rather than a crosswise position to obtain longer fries and to maximize use of the potato.
To prevent the tumbling of potatoes and to assist in alignment and centering, a number of devices have been created. U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,625 utilizes mechanical guides impacting upon a resilient tube to perform the function, as does U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,468. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,082,024 and 4,135,002 utilize moveable walls to perform the function. Such devices are expensive, require periodic maintenance and restrict production by "down time" due to repairs and due to their slow reaction time. In an effort to align and center without mechanical walls, shoes, guides, and the like, U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,652 simply utilizes an elongated uninterrupted tube having a progressively decreasing cross-sectional flow area. Such a tube relies completely upon hydraulic forces and obviously must be of such diameter to accommodate the largest of potatoes. In enlarging the diameter there is an inherent problem of tumbling of smaller potatoes which may strike a sidewall setting up turbulence in the water mass and a vibration in the course of the potato.
The present invention overcomes these problems found in the prior art by providing an improved alignment and centering tube which does not utilize mechanized positioners or guides but rather utilizes resilient material, preferably in rib form, for engaging the potato or other raw food product for the alignment and centering thereof.